professor of various branches of classical knowledge, and a mythological, semi-divine being all wrapped in one. The Indian masters I have studied with report that Patanjali lived six thousand years ago, though some Western scholars claim that he lived more recently.

Ashtanga Yoga can be traced all the way back to Patanjali. Ashtanga Yoga is mentioned in many ancient texts, such as the Mahabharata, the longest Indian epic. These references make it clear that the term Ashtanga was always used to refer to Patanjali’s yoga. Ashtanga is derived from the Sanskrit words ashtau, meaning “eight,” and anga, meaning “limb.” These words describe the essence of Ashtanga Yoga — a discipline built of eight distinct practices, or limbs. The postures, or asanas, that most Westerners associate with the term yoga make up only one of these eight limbs.

The following are the eight limbs as described by Patanjali:

1.    Restraints (Yamas)

2.    Observances (Niyamas)

3.    Postures (Asanas)

4.    Breath extension (Pranayama)

5.    Internal focus (Pratyahara)

6.    Concentration (Dharana)

7.    Meditation (Dhyana)

8.    Ecstasy (Samadhi)

  I say more about these limbs in short order.

  One of the outstanding features of Indian spiritual traditions such as yoga is that through the ages their practices have adapted to meet the changing requirements of an evolving society. Ashtanga Yoga is no different, and in the past few millennia it has taken many forms. For example, a fairly recent form, only about one thousand years old, is Hatha Yoga, a Tantric yoga that focuses on the body and proper execution of elaborate techniques. One of Hatha Yoga’s defining texts, the